While the candidates are overwhelmed by the youth team, Fukuda rubs salt into the wound by telling them a piece of information. Unable to recover from the shock, the candidate team allows more goals to the youth team, making it a one-sided match. While his teammates feel completely beaten and lose their fighting spirit, Ashito, still feeling the pain from Akutsu's attack, starts to lose his will to fight.

Fukuda suggests that Ashito and other new Esperion Youth players play an intrasquad game. Anyone who proves their worth in the game will be promoted to the A team. All new players are excited at the prospect of joining the A team. Ashito, playing his favorite forward position, starts the game out well. However…

Tokyo Metropolis League has opened. Ashito and others have their first official match against Seikyo High, but the mood of the team has been awful since the fight on the day of the entrance ceremony. The Esperion Youth B team struggles to coordinate, despite being chosen as a starter, Ashito hasn't found the answer to Date's assignment. Frustrated, Taira suggests that the first-year players switched out.

In the second half of Tokyo Metropolis League Match 1 against Seikyo High School, Ashito coordinates with Kuroda and Asari, and learns the importance of carrying the ball with three players. Having the answer to his assignment, Ashito initiates the counterattacks of the Esperion B team. As they make a comeback from the disadvantage of 0 -3, the game time is running out. In his extreme state of concentration, something strange is happening to Ashito's eyes…!

Advised by Takeshima and Anri that he should study Kuribayashi's movements, Ashito pours over the broadcast of the J1 match to see Kuribayashi's play. Combing over the past footage of Kuribayashi's play, Ashito realizes that what set Kuribayashi apart is how he turns his head. Ashito tries to incorporate it in his practice right away, but it only confuses him. In his teammates eyes, that confusion looks like being unmotivated for having to play a full-back.

The game against Tokyo Musashino is the climax of the Tokyo Metropolis League for Esperion B team. Although the team has worked on countermeasures against Musashino, the air is still tense within the team and there's a clear sign of anxiety on the faces of many of them during the warmup. But right before the game starts, Takeshima disappears from the locker room with his girlfriend, Tae.

Esperion B team bitterly allows the first goal to Muto, the playmaker of Musashino. With Musashino one step ahead, second-year Sugawara suggests that they go back to their original play style that relies on short passes. But Tachibana, Togashi, and Takeshima insist on continuing with the direct approach they've been practicing. To the disconcerted players, Date starts giving concrete instructions for a change.